Hunters are out in orange and camouflage today as Ohio’s annual shotgun deer season gets underway.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources expects hunters to bag about 65,000 deer in the seven-day hunt. They say the state herd is in good health after years of efforts to lower the statewide deer population.

This year’s seven day hunt brings one big change: hunters can use some types of rifles.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2014/12/01/hunters-flank-across-state-shotgun-hunt-1/feed/0Standoff With Police Ends Peacefullyhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2011/06/07/standoff-with-police-ends-peacefully/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2011/06/07/standoff-with-police-ends-peacefully/#commentsTue, 07 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000WOSU News Staffhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2011/06/07/standoff-with-police-ends-peacefully/The Delaware County Sheriff's Office says a standoff with a man held up inside a home with a loaded assault rifle ended without injuries yesterday.

]]>The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office says a standoff with a man held up inside a home with a loaded assault rifle ended without injuries yesterday.

Police suspect 31-year-old Matthew Overmeyer of breaking into a home when he grabbed the weapon and locked himself in a bedroom. The Sheriff’s Office says a detective negotiated with Overmeyer for about 20 minutes before he surrendered.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2011/06/07/standoff-with-police-ends-peacefully/feed/0In Multi-State Sting, New York Exposes Gun Show Loophole At Westland Mallhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/10/07/in-multi-state-sting-new-york-exposes-gun-show-loophole-at-westland-mall/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/10/07/in-multi-state-sting-new-york-exposes-gun-show-loophole-at-westland-mall/#commentsWed, 07 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000Sadie Taylorhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/10/07/in-multi-state-sting-new-york-exposes-gun-show-loophole-at-westland-mall/In a video posted on the New York City government's website, a gun seller in Columbus did not seem to care when an undercover investigator suggests he would not pass a background check.

]]>In a video posted on the New York City government’s website, a gun seller in Columbus did not seem to care when an undercover investigator suggests he would not pass a background check.

“No background checks, right?” says the undercover investigator. “No,” says the dealer. “Good, because I probably couldn’t pass one,” says the investigator. “Now why would you do that? Have you been bad?” “Have I been bad? I’d rather not go there.”

The dealer then sells the investigator a gun. This transaction occurred at the Westland Mall Gun Show in July.

The City of New York commissioned undercover private investigators to case gun shows in Ohio, Nevada, and Tennessee. The New York Mayor’s Criminal Justice Coordinator, John Feinblatt, says the investigation tested two things.

“Would private sellers sell to someone even if they knew, or had reason to believe, that they were a criminal, and to test whether licensed dealers would make straw sales,’” says Feinblatt.

Straw sales are when buyers have an accomplice fill out the required background check paperwork, avoiding it themselves. Together, these two scenarios make up the so-called “gun show loophole.”

At the Westland Mall Gun Show this year, 5 out of 6 private sellers sold guns to undercover investigators — despite being told the buyer wouldn’t pass a background check. One licensed dealer was approached with a so-called straw sale. He sold the gun anyways.

Though no criminal charges have been filed, a federal court ordered the alleged gun show offenders to receive additional gun law training and monitoring. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the sting has already yielded results in his city.

“A recent study showed that since the lawsuits were settled, the share of guns coming from those dealers and being recovered at crime scenes in our city has declined by a stunning seventy-five percent,” says Bloomberg.

Bloomberg says his office sent a copy of the report to the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He plans to send the report to members of Congress to encourage federal legislation to close the loophole.

But not everyone is convinced additional legislation is needed. The National Rifle Association believes criminals should be prosecuted for their crimes. But NRA spokesperson Vicki Ciplak says the NRA doesn’t think the sting was really about fighting crime.

“If Mayor Bloomberg is serious about curbing gun crime, then why didn’t he work with the federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to arrest and prosecute these alleged lawbreakers on the spot. So we believe all he seems to be interested in is grandstanding in front of the media,” says Ciplak.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/10/07/in-multi-state-sting-new-york-exposes-gun-show-loophole-at-westland-mall/feed/0gun,national,rifleIn a video posted on the New York City government's website, a gun seller in Columbus did not seem to care when an undercover investigator suggests he would not pass a background check.In a video posted on the New York City government's website, a gun seller in Columbus did not seem to care when an undercover investigator suggests he would not pass a background check.WOSU Newsno2:38Columbus Area Law Enforecment Battle High Powered Weaponryhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2007/02/22/columbus-area-law-enforecment-battle-high-powered-weaponry/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2007/02/22/columbus-area-law-enforecment-battle-high-powered-weaponry/#commentsThu, 22 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +0000Sam Hendrenhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2007/02/22/columbus-area-law-enforecment-battle-high-powered-weaponry/

There's something of an arms race happening on the streets of Columbus. The police say they're encountering more and more assault style weapons in the hands of law-breakers, tilting the balance of power in the criminals' favor. The police say they're implementing ways to meet the challenge.

There’s something of an arms race happening on the streets of Columbus. The police say they’re encountering more and more assault style weapons in the hands of law-breakers, tilting the balance of power in the criminals’ favor. The police say they’re implementing ways to meet the challenge.

It may sound like it’s nothing out of the ordinary, but this AK-47 assault rifle, kept secured in the police division’s ordinance section, is a devastating weapon.

“Well it is capable of going through a brick wall, through steel, through a car; it’s a very powerful round. It’s very capable of defeating body armor,” says Columbus police gunsmith and instructor Ronald Barker.

Barker says that’s what happened ten years ago this month during the notorious North Hollywood bank robbery in California. Two AK-47 wielding gunmen engaged police in a shootout for more than half an hour. Bullets from the officers’ side arms bounced of the shooters’ body armor, while rounds from their assault rifles left small craters in patrol cars. As officers radioed dispatchers, it was clear the LAPD was completely outgunned.

DISPATCHER: Requesting someone to stop the vehicle north of Kittridge; it’s a gray vehicle.

OFFICER: Do not stop it. They have automatic weapons. There’s nothing we have that can stop ‘em.

In the end 12 officers and a civilian were wounded. One gunman committed suicide, the other bled to death. The incident was a defining moment for law enforcement says Steve Martin, criminal division chief deputy in the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

“We have that on video and it’s not uncommon for us to show that to people to show that we need weapons like that,” Martin says. “We need to be able to defend ourselves and also defend the public at the same time.”

Columbus police Sgt. Kevin Corcoran says assault style weapons, which can be purchased legally, are now routinely turning up in the city.

“Just about every night on the street we’re encountering numerous assault weapons,” Corcoran says. “Most of them are AK-47 or similar style rifles, with a magazine capacity of 30 rounds or more. Some of them have been fully automatic, some have been semi-automatic. In those types of situations we are heavily out gunned.”

“That was a concern of officers on the street. They wanted more ammunition,” Corcoran says. “These magazines will hold 15 rounds as opposed to the old eight rounds that the 4506 held. It gives the officer less magazine changes in tense situations.”

Columbus police officers and trainees at the city academy have been training with the new .40 caliber M&P model as an instructor supervises the session.

“Next exercise. When the target turns to face you, draw your weapon, fire two shots, holster up, back to the center of the booth. Is the line ready?”

At the department’s indoor firing range, large cardboard targets turn to face eight officers in training, and they fire as instructed.

Columbus police will now be carrying 21 more rounds for the new pistol bringing the total capacity to 46. But since a federal assault rifle ban expired, criminals, says Scott Hunter, Firearms Committee chair of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, still can carry larger amounts of ammunition.

“People can buy magazines that can hold 10, 20, 30, even 100, which is devastating to a street officer who typically is only carrying a side arm,” Hunter says. “They may well likely be outgunned.”

That’s why Reynoldsburg officers may now choose to carry an AR-15 rifle in their cruisers – it’s a civilian version of an M16. Columbus police have a supply of M1′s; the county has M16′s.

“We have SWAT guys on the street all the time,” says Franklin County chief deputy Martin. “And they carry their equipment with them so depending on what their specialty is or what their arms are we can have sophisticated weapons. We have armored vehicles now; we didn’t used to have those. So it’s just a sign of the times, really.”

But police, according to Scott Hunter, will always be constrained in their choice of what weapons to use. He says they cannot indiscriminately fire high powered rifles as criminals do, because of the risk to civilians.